Power-transmitting mechanism



Dec. 10, 1929. w. w. KELLY POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 23, 1928 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNI-TE STATES PATENT OFFICE POWER-TRANSMITTING MECHANISM Application filed February' 23, 1928:. Serial N.-256,380.

Thisinventionrelates to a power transmitting mechanism.

Ub ectsof this. 1nvent1on are to provide a novel form. of power transmitting mechanism which. is so constructed that a plurality of depressible elements are ELSSOCIZLlLGfl with a movable member, such for example, as. a re-volubly mounted shaft, 1n a'manner to move the member in one direction only when the elements are successively depressed.

Further ob ects are to provide the depressible elements in a series, one after the other, so that they may be positioned in adrlveway adjacent a door, for lnstance, and by their successive depression by a. passing automobile, will actuate the power transmitting mechanism which in turn may obviously be employed for actuating thedoors. Although the immediately described use is one of the principal uses of the power transmitting 3U vent the falling of material. intothe channels of the units.

A further object is to provide a novel form of mechanism of the order of toggle links associated in a continuous series in each unit, so that a slight depression of the unit Willcause a considerable travel of theend linkand.

its associated actuating member. 3

A further ob ect of this inventionds toiprovidc a power transmittmg unit adapted, for

an actuation by the weight ofa vehicle, which does not require the use ofplatforms or other extensive surfaces or structures for supporting the automobile, but which insteachis =c.omposed of a seriesof relatively narrow and a; small elements adapted for depression by the:

passing vehicle in a regular successionn An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawingsin which:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view efathe ta men banism with parts 1 broken; away ,1

Figure 2iis a transverse sectional view on theline 2-2 of' Figure 1 Figured is a=view corresponding to Figure 2 and showing to, an enlarged scale a portion of the mechanism, such View showing in full linesits. normal position and in dotted lines its depressed position;

Figure. dis a, transverse sectional view on the line 4% ofFigureB.

Referring to. the drawings, it. will be seen that. a plurality of depressible elements 1 have been indicated asformed of a channel section, such for example. as channel iron. These members are arranged transversely of the drivewayand are partially housed and guided by a lower stationary channel iron! or member 2. The member 2 extends into a casing 3' within which a revolubly mounted shaft 4. is housed. This shaft is carried by means of bearings 5 supported. by brackets 6 within the. casing 3. If desired, the casing 8 may be formedmerely as a channel in the con-- crete ofthe driveway or it may beformed of a separate and distinct metal compartment. At all events, it forms a compartment into which the channelirons 2 open at their fon wardxends. The casing Sis covered by means of a removable plate? (see Figure 2) and preferablythis plate is formed of sections, asshownmost clearly in Figure 1 Channel members 8 are positioned in line with the channel members 2, as-shown most clearly in Figures-1. and:2,.but are inverted. This provides-airextension-of the channel for the re ception of the movable bar or red, hereinafter described.

Mounted between the members 1- and 2 are aplurality of toggle links 9whose upper and lower pivotal portions are provided with rollers 10 which contact with the inner surfaces of themcmbers l and 2, as shownin Figures 2 and 3. These rollers, therefore, bear against: thezmembers 1 and2 and, consequently, any downward mot-ion of the; member 1 will cause-the linlrsto approach astraightened position, asindicated in dotted lines inFigure 3;. Theproportion of the members 1 and 2 is. such, however, that the links never becomeiperfeetly straight. Their :rnanimum downward positienis indicated in Figure 3. The rear end link is carried by a transverse pin'11 which is fixed in the channel member 2. The forward or free link has its end connected to a slidable .bar 12 which is mounted for reciprocation within the member 2. Thi slidable bar projects across the casing3' and into the channel member 8, as shown in Figure 2. It is provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 13 which have abrupt forward faces andslantingrear faces. These ratchet teeth cooperate with the corresponding teeth of'a ratchet wheel 14 rigidly mounted upon the shaft 4.

It is to be noted that the shaft 4: is provided with one ratchet wheel for each of the bars 12 and obviously as many of the depressible units and the associated mechanisms may be employedas needed. Preferably, the links 9 are formed in pairs, as shown in Figure 1, so as to provide a very simple structure for the receptionof the 'rollers lO between members of a pair. w

In order to retract the bars 12, pairs of tension springs, indicated by the reference character'15 in Figure 1, are employed. One end of each of these springs is attached to the corresponding casing 2 and the other end attached to the corresponding bar 12, as shown in Figure 1. Thus, the bars 12 will be urged rearwardly and will consequently urge the links into their angular positions shown in Figure 2, thus. raising the depressible elements 1.

It is to be distinctly understood that any J use: may be made of this device, as desired,

but in order to simplify the description of the op'eration,'it will be referred to as being actuated by a passing automobile.

Further, it is to be noted that any means may be employed for taking off the power from the shaft 4. For example, the shaft i may be provided with a bevel wheel 16'adapted to mesh with a corresponding bevel wheel.

It is to benoted also that the bars 12 merely 'rest by their own weight uponthe ratchet wheels'14, and, consequently, there is no necessity 'for'employing springs or other elaborate and delicatemechanism for maintaining anoperative engagement between the re-' clprocatory bars and the ratchet wheels when thebars are moved in their forward direction. In addition to this, it is preferable to form the brackets 6, which carry the bars for the V PELSSlIig along the driveway.

shaft 4, in pairs and join them by webbed feet 17. These websare provided with notches 18 on opposite sides' for the reception of the bars-12. i j p e In operation, assume that an'a-utomobile is wheels engage the'elements 1 theywill depress the elements and'correspondingly project the bars 12 forwardly in succession. Each travelof a bar rotates the'shaft & in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, and it is a to be noted that the bar 12 is moved a material As its front distance for a slight depression of the element 1 as the effect of the toggle links is multiplied by having them in an, extended series. Further, as the rear wheels encounter the depressible elements they also will successively actuate these elements and thus a double functioning of the elements is attained with a corre sponding operation of the shaft 1. Thus, it will be seen that the shaft i is caused to rotate a material number of times by a small travel of the members 1 and, it is to be particularly noted that the usual elaborately supported and impractical platform for the reception of an entire automobile is wholly avoided.

Further, it is to be noted that the channel members 1 and 2 form a housing for the enclosed mechanism and thus protect it from dirt and other matter. In addition to this, these members are provided with cooperative edges, as shown in Figure 1. For instance, the members 2 have their upper edges inwardly turned, as indicated by the reference character 19, and the members 1 have their edges outwardly turned, as indicated by the reference character 20. These reversely turned edges form a tight seal between the members under normal conditions and thus completely house the enclosed mechanism. Further, the depression of the member 1, although it causes the lips 19 and 20 to separate, nevertheless does not produce a large crack or gap between the members 1 and 2, as the member 1 merely slides downwardly as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4;, and at all times has its sides positioned in close proximity to the sides of the member 2.

It will be seen that a power transmitting mechanism has been provided which is very simple in construction, which is eminently practical, and which does not require an extended platform or complicated structure.

Further, it will be seen that the mechanism is scarcely noticeable in an ordinary driveway, if it is employed, for instance, for operating garage doors.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention may be variously embodied and as the scope of such invention is to be determined as claimed.

, I claim:

1. Power transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of elongated casings, a plurality of depressible elements carried within said casings and projecting therefrom, means for limiting the extent of projection of said elements fromsaid casings, reeiprocatory bars projecting from the ends of said casings and provided'with ratchet teeth, toggle link mechanism carried within and attached to said casings and operatively connecting said elements and said bars for imparting reciprocatory motion to said bars when said elements'are depressed, means for elevating said elements from their depressed positions, a shaft revolubly mounted transversely of said casings, and a plurality of ratchet wheels carried by said shaft and operatively related to and supporting said bars, whereby said shaft is rotated when said elements are successively depressed.

2. Power transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of elongated channel casings, a plurality of elongated channel elements telescopically carried within said casinns, a chain of toggle links housed within each of the channel casings and channel elements and bearing against the said casing and element, one end 01" each of said chains being secured against longitudinal motion adjacent one end of its casing; and having its free end extending towards the other end of the easing, bars projecting from the last mentioned ends of said casings and connected to the free ends of said chains, whereby said bars are reciprocated upon depression of the channel elements, means for elevating; said channel elements from a depressed position, a revolubly mounted shaft extending transversely of said casings, and mechanism for operatively connecting said shaft with said bars when said bars are moved in one direction, whereby said shaft is rotated upon successive depression oi said elements.

3. Power transmitting mechanism comprising a plurality of elongated casings, a plurality of depressilole elements carried within said casings and projecting therefrom,

r means for limiting the extent of projection of said elements from said casings, reciprocatory bars projecting from the ends of said casings and provided with ratchet teeth, toggle link mechanism carried within and attached to said casings and operatively connecting said elements and said bars for imparting reciprocatory motion to said bars when said elements are depressed, means for elevatine' said elements from a depressed position, a shaft revolubly mounted transversely of said casings, and a plurality of ratchet wheels carried by said shaft and operatively related to and supporting said bars, whereby said shaft is rotated when said elements are successively depressed, said toggle links havin rollers at their upper and lower ends.

lln testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Racine, in the county of Racine and State oi: Wisconsin,

W'ALLACE XV. KELLY. 

